Sheet feeder



ug. 28, 1945., H, J. LUEHiRS ErAl.

SHEET FEEDER Filed April 22, 1944 v '4 sheets-shut 1 SHEET FEEDEIR 4 shams-sheet` 2 any. www l m 4 M MM i W b MN Oo fl www@ k QW l .mu mw N QN, um

i ug.28, 1945. -H .L LUHRS ETAL SHEET FEEDER Filed April 22, 1944 4 sheets-sheet 5 Aug; 28, 1945;-

H. J. LuEHRs Erm.

SHEET FEEDER Filed April :22l 4 sheets-sheet 4 X INVENTORS'F- BM WW 4/ Patented Aug. 28, 1945 orticaV SHEET FEEDER Hans J. Luehrs, Westerly, R. I.,and Philip W.

Cottrell, Stonington Cottrell & Sons Com D poration of Delaware Conn., assignors to C. B. any, Westerly, R. I., a cor- Application April 22, 1944, Serial No. 532,292

` 14 claims.` (el. 271-12) One object of our invention is to provide novel and efliclent 'means including a change speed mechanism for forwarding sheets in spaced relationship from a source of sheet supply to the head guides of a. sheet handling machine, as, for instance, a sheet cutter and creaser.

Another object is to provide an endless tape carrier and coacting pinch' rollers driven-at a variable speed from the change speed mechanism and operable to take a sheet while the rollers and carrier are at their lowest speed, then gradually increase their speed while the sheet is being forwarded toward the h'ead guides, and finally gradually decrease their speed to the lowest point as the sheet reaches the head guides.

Another object is to provide variable speed pinch rollers which are positively driven synchronously with' the tape carrier, which pinch rollers are caused to periodically coact at the feeding- 'in end of the endless carrier to take the sheet fed thereto from the source of sheet supply when the rollers and carrier are traveling at a low speed and to also provide frlctionally driven web feed pressure rolls to keep control of the sheet after it has left the positively driven pinch' rollers and until it reaches the front guides.

Another object is to ensure a, positive and uniform control of the sheet throughout its travel by providing driving and actuating means for the sheet forwarding mechanism at both sides of the'endrless tape carrier, whereby torsional delays and inaccurate pinch action is avoided.

A practical embodiment of our invention is represented in the accompanying drawings kin which:

Fig. 1 represents a, top plan view of a sheet feeder embodying our invention as applied to a sheet cutter and creaser, two interior portions along the feeder and sh'eet cutter and creaser be- .ing removed as indicated by the broken lines :c-a: and y-Il Y Fig. 2 represents .a front elevation of thevfeeder with certain parts broken away;

Fig. 3 represents a vertical section taken in the plane of the line III-III of Fig. 1; n

Fig. 4 represents .a detail vertical section taken in the plane of the line IV-IV of Fig, 1;

Fig. 5 represents a detail horizontal section taken in the plane of the line V-V of Fig. 4; 1 Fig. 6 represents a detail horizontal section taken in th'e plane of the line VI--VI of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 represents a detail vertical section showing the sheet guide frame swung upwardly to gain easy access to the endless tape carrier and adjacentI parts;

Fig. 8 represents a detail vertical section showing the parts in the positions they assume when the headv end of a sheet h'as been fed-from a pile to the positively driven pinch rollers; Fig. 9 represents an enlarged detail vertical central section of the speed changing mechanism for imparting a, variable speed to the tape carrier and its pinch rollers;

Fig. 10 represents a cross section taken in the plane of the line X-X of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 represents a cross section taken in th'e plane of the line XI-XI of Fig. 9; andv Fig. 12 represents a cross section taken in the plane of the line XII-XII of Fig. 9.

'I'he front and rear side frames of the feeder are denoted by I and 2. The constant speed horizontal main drive shaft 3 of the sheet cutter and creaser is shown as driving the vertical sh'aft t of the feeder through angle gears 5, 6, which shaft 6 drives the second vertical shaft I through the spur gears 8 and 9. This shaft 'I drivesv the cross shaft I 0 through angle gears II, I2. The

.main drive shaft 3 and the shafts 4, 'I and I0 are all designed to be driven one to one with the cutter and creaser, a, portion only of which isv illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

The tapes,- I3 of the variable speed endless carrier pass from around the tape drive roller I8 to and around the pinch roller` I5 and from thence along the top of the feed table I4 to. and around the rollers I6 at the delivery end of the carrier. From these rollers I6 the tapes pass under the table I4 to and around th'e compensating rollers I7 and thence to the tape drive roller I8.

Head guides I9 for the sheet cutter and creaser 20 are located adjacent the brackets 2I which carry the tape rollers I 6-at the delivery end of the endless tape carrier.

Pinch ro1lers22 are arranged to intermittently coact with the pinch roller I5 at the feeding-in end of the carrier. These pinch rollers 22 are raised and lowered to open and close the space between them and the pinch roller I5 for receiving and gripping the leading end of a sheet by providing the constant speed cross drive shaft I0 with two cams 23 engaging studs or rol-1ers on arms 24 of rock levers pivoted on stud shafts 25, the other arms 26 of which rock levers having the corresponding ends of the pinch roller shaft 21 journaled therein.

Springs 28 engaging the lever arms 26 may be employed for removing any back-lash `between the cams 23y and the rock levers, thus ensuring an accurately timed contact between the' pinch 2 I rollers zz ena' is 'at beth sides ofthe endless earrier.

rt will be understood that the ends-or the shaft 28 of the tape feed roller Il are rotatably mounted in studsv 23* carried by the frames l and I`2 ofthe feeder', and that the ends of the shaft 38 of the pinch roller i5 are rotatably mounted in rock arms 3| pivoted on the studs 28.A Springs 32 serves to yieldingly support the rock arms 3l against the adjustable stops 33' to take care ofv 'any over-travel of the pinch rollers 22 in their closing movement and to provide a safety device if more than one sheet should be inadvertently fed to the endless carrier. u

A change speed mechanism is employed 'between the constant speed drive shaft I8 and the tape feed roller shaft 23, as follows: lCine end of the shaft I projects into a housing 34 where it is provided with a gear 35 having internal teeth 38 and external teeth 31. The external teeth 31 of this gear 35 mesh with a spurgear 38 rotatably mounted on an extension of one of the roller shaft 28, which gear 38 carries eccentrically two small spur gears 48, 4i which mesh with a spur gear tzukeyed to the shaft ze 'of the tape drive roller I8. These small spur gears 40, 4| alsofmesh Awith the teeth of an internal gear 43,

the hollow shaft 44 oi which is pivoted to rock of this shaft 48 carries a crank disc 50 adJust-' ably connected to the upper end of a rod 5|, the lower end of which rod is connected to an arm 52 `fast onthe shaft' 4l which carries the internal gear 43.

Both ends of the pinch roller I5 which coacts with the pinch rollers 22 are positively driven from the tape drive roller i8 through two pairs Vhollow studs '28* concentric with the tape feed A handle 'is ed the operator eide er the feeder serves as a means for rocking the rod 13 to A release the latches 12 and thereby the sheet guide frame.

Sheets may be fed from a pile 15 on an elevating table 11 to the endless tape carrier between the pinch rollers l5 and 22 by any well known or approved means, such, for instance, as suction lifting, blowing, and feeding devices 18,' 18 and 80, the operation of which forms no part of the present invention.

In operation: A sheet is taken from the pile 18 in the usual manner and fed into the space between the positively driven variable speed pinch rollers I5 and 22 while the pinch rollers 22 are in their raised position. The pinch rollers 22 are then lowered to grip the sheet against the pinch'rollers I5 and endless carrier tapes I3, thereby causing the sheet to be forwarded with the tape carrier at a low speed. The head of the sheet then passes between the frictionally driven feed rollers 85 and their tapes I3, the tape car-v rier and the rollers being speeded up gradually to the maximum and thereafter slowed down until the sheet reaches' its lowest speed as it reaches the head vguides I8 of the sheet handling machine 20.

It will be understood that the feed rollers 55 I are Aadjusted toward and away from the head guides I8 to a. position that will cause the leading end of the sheet to reach the head guidesjust after the tail end of the sheet has leftlthe rollers. I

It will alsobe understood that the above feeding operation occurs during one-half of the cy-` cle of the sheet handling machine, i. e., one-half be forwarded to the machine by the endless car- 40 rier. l

of spur gears 53, 54 on the roller shaft 28, 30 respectively.-` Both ends of the pinch roller shaft 21 are driven from the shaft 28 of the tape drive When itis desired to gain ready access to the feed board, head guides, tape carrier, etc., the

handle 15 may be manipulated to unlock the sheet guide frame and thereby permit it to be swung( 4: to its open position as shown in Fig. 7.

roller Il through the two sets4 of gears 55, 58, 51

at both sides of the endless carrier.

The sheet guide frame located above the endu less tape carrier comprises the following elements: A rock shaft 58 is pivoted to swing in the frames I and 2 adjacent the delivery end of the endlesstape carrier. Two side` arms 58 extend from the rock shaft 58 and are connected at their uprising free ends by a crossbar 80.l Sheet guides 6I extend between the hangers 82 on the rock shaft 58 and hangers 62- on the crossbar 80. Spring pressed arms $3 are pivoted on the tubular crossbar i4 which arms carry the additional sheet feed rollers 65 in posltionto coact with their endless carrier tapes I3 to be frictionally driven thereby. These feed rollers 65 are adjustable toward and away from the head guides I8 for different lengths of sheets .by mounting their supporting crossbar 84 initwo brackets 61 adjustable' along the side arms 58. Springs 88 are mounted onrods 63 which are pivoted on v so that it may be easily swung from its closed position to its open position. This sheet guide frame is locked in its closed position by spring' a crossbar 13, which lon the side arms-59- pressed latches 12 fast on latches engage keepers 14 fill liu

It will also be seen that the positive control of the sheet is maintained throughout its forwarding variable speed movement, at both sides of the sheet thereby ensuring absolute accuracy in the movement thereof.

The change speed mechanism shown and described but not claimed per se herein, forms the subject matter of our divisional application filed February 22, 1945, its Serial No. being 579,172.

It is evident that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope and our invention and hence we do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiment' herein shown and described, but what we claim is:

l. In a sheet feeder, a constant speed drive shaft, head guides, an endless tape carrier, means for feeding successive spaced sheets thereto, a

tape drive roller and its shaft, and a change speed mechanism operatively connecting the constant speeddrive shaft with the tape drive roller shaft to drive the carrier at al minimum speed for forwarding the sheets thereon slowly as they start, then increasing the speed of the carrier and sheets to a. maximum and finally decreasing the speed of the carrier and sheets to a minimum so that the sheets will Ireach the head guides at a low speed, said change speed mechanism' being operable to impart to the endless for feeding successive pinch rollers and their A 2,383,807 tape carrier one cycle of its variable speed movement each one-half rotation oi the constant speed drive shaft, and the said sheet feeding means serving to feed a sh'eet to the endless tape carrier each rotation of the drive shaft.

In a sheet feeder. a constant speed drive shaft, head guides, an endless tape carrier, means for feeding successive spaced sheets thereto, a tapedrive roller and its shaft, upper and lower pinch rollers and their shafts, a change speed mechanism operatively connecting the constant speed drive shaft with the tape drive roller shaft and the pinch roller shafts to positively 4drive the carrier and pinch rollers at a variable speed for forwarding the sheets slowly as they start, increasing the speed of the sheets and lfinally decreasing the speed of the sheets so that they will reach the head guides at a lowspeed, and operative connections between the constant speed drive shaft and both ends of the upper pinch roller shaft for periodically raising the-#upper pinch rollers to permit the insertion of the sheets between the pinch rollers.

3. In a sheet feeder, a constant speed drive shaft, head guides, an endless tape carrier, means spaced sheets thereto, a tape drive roller and its shaft, upper and lower tions between both endsA of the tape drive roller shaft and both ends of the upper and lower pinch roller shafts, a change speed mechanism operatively connecting the constant speed drive shaft with the tape drive roller shaft for forwarding the sheets slowly as they start increasing the speed of the sheets and finally decreasing the speed of the sheets so that they will be traveling at a low speed as they reach'the head'guides, and operative connections between the constant speed drive shaft and both ends of the upper pinch roller shaft for periodically raising the upper pinch rollers. to permit the insertion of the sheets between the pinch rollers.

4. In a sheet feeder, a constant speed drive shaft, an endless tape spaced sheets thereto, a tape drive roller shaft, upper and lower pinch rollers and their shafts operatively connected to the tape drive roller shaft, rocking supports for4 the upper pinch roller shaft, cams on the constant speed drive shaft for periodically rocking the upperpinch roller supports, and a change speed mechanism operatively connecting the constant speed drive shaft to the tape drive rollershaft and pinch roller shafts to drive the endless carrier and Vpinch rollers at a f variable speed.

5. In a sheet feeder, a constant speed drive. shaft, an endless tape carrier, means for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a tape drive roller shaft, upper and lower pinch rollers and their shafts operatively connected to the tape drive roller shaft, rocking supports for the upper pinch roller` shaft, cams on 4the constant speed drive shaft for periodically rocking the upper pinch roller supports. yielding supports for the lower pinch roller, and a change speed mechanism operatively connecting the constant speed drive shaft to the tape drive roller shaft to drive the endless carrier and pinch rollers at a variable speed.

6. In a sheet feeder, head guides,a variable speed endless tape carrier, means. for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a sheet guide frame located above the endless tape carrier and adapted to be swung between its closed and opened positions independently of the tape carrier, and 'sheet forwarding rollers carried by the frame in poslshafts, operative connec` carrier, means for feeding tion to be frictionally driven by the endless tape carrier.

7. In a sheet feeder, head guides, a variable speed endless tape carrier, means for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a sheet guide frame located above the endless tape carrier and adapted to be swung between its closed and opened positions independentlyof the tape carrier, and sheet forwarding rollers carried by the frame -in positionto be frictionally driven lby the endless tape carrier and adjustable into position to release the tail ends 0f the sheets just before their leading ends reach the head guides.

8. In a sheet feeder, head guides, a. variable speed endless tape carrier, means for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a sheet guide frame located above the endless tape carrier and adapted to be swung between its closed and opened positions 'independently of the tape carrier, and spring 20l pressed sheet forwarding rollers carried by the frame in position to be frictionally driven by the endless tape carrier.

9. In a sheet feeder, head guides, a variable speed endless tape carrier, means for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a sheet guide frame located above the endless tape carrier and adapted to be swung' between its closed and opened positions independently of the tape carrier, and spring pressed sheet forwarding rollers carried by the vframe in position to be frictionally driven by the -endless tape carrier and adjustable along the frame into position to release the tail ends oi' the sheets just before their leading ends reach the head guides.

10: In a sheet feeder, head guides, a variable speed endless tape carrier, means for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a sheet 'guide frame located above the tape vcarrier and adapted to be swung between its closed and opened positions inde- -pendently ofA the tape carrier, and sheet forwarding rollers carried by the frame in position to be frictionally driven by the endless tape carrier and adjustable toward and away from the head guides and means for counterbalancing the sheet guide frame. V

11. In a. sheet feeder, a constant speed drive shaft, an endless tape carrier, its tape drive roller,

a'change speed mechanism connecting the drive shaft with the carrier roller for driving the carrier at s. minim'um speed as the sheet starts and finishes its movement and at a maximum speed between said start and finish, and pinch rollers at the feeding-in end of the carrier positively driven from both ends of the tape drive roller.

12. In a sheet feeder, a constant speed drive shaft, an endless tape carrier, its tape drive roller,

a change speed `mechanism connecting the drive shaft with: the carrier roller for driving thecarrier at a minimum speed as the sheet starts and finishes its movement and at a maximum speed between said start and finish, pinch rollers at the feeding-in endV of the carrier positively driven from both ends of the tape drive roller, and means for periodically separating the pinchv rollers to receive a sheet between them.

' 13. In a sheet feeder, a constant speed drive shaft, head guides, an endless tape carrier, means for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a tape -drive roller, its shaft, a change speed mechanism operatively connecting the constant speed drive shaft and the tape drive roller shaft for driving the carrier slowly as the sheet starts therewith,

then faster and slower so as to cause the sheet' and internally toothed gear on the drive shaft, la spur gear on the tape drive roller shaft, a spur gear concentric with the tape drive roller shaft and meshing with the external teeth of the drive shaft gear, a rotary crank shaft, a spur gear thereon meshing with the internal teeth of the drive shaft gear, an yoficillating shaft having an arm operatively connected to the crank shaft, an internal 'gear on the oscillating shaft, and spur gears carried by the said .concentric gear and `meshing with the said internal gear on the osn cillating shaft and said spur gear cn the ft'ape' drive roller shaft.

14. In a sheet feeder, head guides. a constant speed drive shaft. an endless tape carrier, means for feeding spaced sheets thereto, a tape drive roller, its shaft, and a changespeed mechanism operatively connecting the constant speed drive shaft and the tape drivelroller rshaft for driving the carrier slowly as the sheets startntherewith, then faster and slower so as to cause the sheet to reach the headV guides at a low speed. said speed change mechanism being operable t0 impart to the endless tape carrier one cycle of its variable speed movement each one-half rotation of the 'constant speed drive shaft, and the said sheet feeding means serving to feed a; sheet to the endless tape carrier each rotation of the drive HANS J.v LUEHRS. PHILIP W. COTTRE-L.

l shaft. 

